Thankful Things

Thanksgiving is definitely a bit different for us this year. We are spending it at home, just the four of us (plus Shadow :D). Actually, I've been really looking forward to it. We're planning to play movies all day, hang out, maybe play games, and of course, stuff our faces! While I love our families, it will be nice, in it's way, not to try and balance spending time with everyone over the break, but just be able to relax in our home. (Though James does have to study, naturally.)

I always like to reflect, at this time of the year, on the things for which I am grateful. I try to be mindful of these things on a regular basis, but Thanksgiving is a special opportunity to really sit down and ponder my blessings.

The other day, as I was thinking about Thanksgiving, I gave myself a little challenge. I decided to try and see how many Thankful Things I could list in 3 minutes. It was kind of fun to rattle them off. I used the voice recorder on my phone, which is why the formatting is non-existent. Here's what I came up with:

my husband my children my home my dog
the church prayer the atonement my Savior
baby smiles 

new words that Joel says 

Joel's laugh 

toddler snuggles
shadows funny run when he's excited
my parents and all my family and my in-laws

adoption the Jacksons the Walleses
all my friends, new and old

playgroup, for me and for Joel

my ability to play the piano and having one in my home
music in general

taekwondo, but I miss it
beautiful photographs of my family
my good health
Christmas
all holidays, really
vacations
our financial circumstances

being able to stay home with our children

my education
James's education, ongoing
my possessions, which I enjoy so much
books and stories and movies

playing Magic the Gathering with James
the Internet
my GPS, or otherwise I wouldn't be able to go anywhere

The order here should in no way indicate degrees of importance. :P Really, this was just me rattling off things as quickly as I could think of them, which is why there are some less-than-serious notations. 

What it really made me realize is the magnitude of my blessings. These were what I could think of in three minutes, and I wasn't done. I could have gone on for another three minutes, and probably much longer.

Life is hard. I have struggled somewhat of late. Adjusting to a new baby in the house. Sleep deprivation. Postpartum blues. Two essentially helpless little people constantly in need of my attention. Taking more than twice as long to get out of the house. Breastfeeding the baby every two hours, feeling chained to him. Postpartum body woes (aka daily wardrobe crises). It can all be overwhelming at times.

But then I consider this list of Thankful Things, and the weight lifts a little. While the challenges I face are real, it is a comfort to remember the things for which I am grateful. It doesn't make the struggles any easier, necessarily. But it helps me rise to meet them.

I hope that you all have an enjoyable Thanksgiving. And I hope you know that I am grateful for you.

"Newborn" photos take 2

Remember how I said there were a few more photos I wanted to take? Well, Xander is a month old today, AND it was sunny. So I embarked on the adventure of photographing a wiggly, wakeful one-month-old!

Fondue Night

I love fondue.

I can't remember the first time I had fondue. It was not something my family did, but I seem to remember being introduced to it during high school sometime, or maybe it was during college. But my first oh-my-gosh-I-love-fondue-! moment came on our honeymoon, when James took me to The Melting Pot in Salt Lake City.

You guys. It was amazing. It was almost (another story) the most expensive meal I have ever eaten. It was decadent. It was delicious. It was delightful. And I was forever changed.

The first thing that James and I bought with one of the gift cards given to us by amazing people who came to our wedding was an electric fondue pot.

It's been ages since we had fondue, so James and I decided to splurge and have it for dinner this week. I used this recipe (see below). I'd found a number of delicious-looking options, but all the ones I looked at first called for alcohol. While I do not object offhand to alcohol in recipes where it will cook out, James asked me to look and see if I could find a family-friendly recipe. I followed it precisely, and it turned out fantastic.

Here is my (very slightly) modified version:

Ingredients

• 2 cups lightly packed shredded Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) *
• 1 1/2 cups lightly packed shredded Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces) *
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup low-sodium, good-quality chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice (don't leave this out! I just gave a quick squeeze of a lemon without properly measuring)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced or pressed garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash of paprika

Directions

1. Place both the shredded Gruyere and Swiss cheeses in a gallon-size resealable bag with the cornstarch and shake until evenly coated.
2. In a medium saucepan (or stovetop-safe fondue pot), bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic and to a simmer.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cheese, a small handful at a time, stirring constantly, but not briskly. It works best to use a wooden spoon and stir in an S-shaped motion, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so it doesn't burn.
4. Once the cheese is melted and begins to just barely simmer, add the remaining spices and move it immediately to the table in the fondue pot. It should be the consistency of warm honey.
5. Serve with your favorite fondue dippers. Our favorites include bread, apples, and cubed ham.

*Do not use pre-shredded cheese. The consistency is very different!

Fondue night this evening was a hit! Joel loved the finger foods (he did not get any of the cheese) and James and I had a great time dipping away. :)

Xander's Newborn Photos

I've been waiting to post these photos, which I took a week and a half ago, because I intended to take more. However, it hasn't happened. The weather hasn't cooperated, denying me the lighting I want. Plus I've simply been overwhelmed with having a new baby in the house! Hopefully I'll still be able to get the shots I want, but we're coming to the point where they could no longer be defined as "newborn photos" which are usually taken within the first two weeks of life. So I present the newborn photos I was able to get, and will simply take more lovely photos of my beautiful son at another time. :) Enjoy!

Can you believe these fingernails?

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